Gauging machine



July 10, 1951 Filed Nov. 15, 1944 T. A. JAGEN 2,560,446

GAUGING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO/Q THEODORE A. JAG EN BY, 4%

H15 TTORNEY,

T. A. JAGEN GAUGING MACHINE Jul 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1944 "OGOQO' nvvzwroe.

N E Y. 6 M fmw A M A w m o H E Z 9 W F Patented July 10, 1951 GAUGING MACHINE Theodore A. Jagen, Harrison, N. J., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application November 15, 1944, Serial No. 565,040

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to gauging machines and comprises all of the features of novelty herein disclosed. An object of the invention is to provide an improved gauging machine to measure articles and eliminate those which are oversize or undersize. Another object is to provide a machine to measure each of a series of articles, such as the length of cylindrical rollers, and eliminate those that are too long or too short the foremost roller sideways between the rear face of the fixed gauge block 12 and a movable gauge member l8 whose head is slightly rounded where the roller enters. An undercut at the end of the pusher tends to press the roller against the base plate to avoid cocking. This movable gauge member I8 actuates mechanism as will apear to determine whether the roller is to be immediately released or allowed to continue for so that only those of acceptable size need be 10 diameter gauging. given a further treatment such as gauging for As the roller is pushed sidewise past the gauge width or diameter. members i2 and I8, if it is within acceptable To these ends and also to improve generally limits, it takes a supported position between the upon machines of this character, the invention bevelled edge of the base plate It] and the bevelled consists in the various matters hereinafter deedge of a movable slide slidable in a deep scribed and claimed. In its broader aspects, the groove of a similarly bevelled base plate 22 which invention is not necessarily limited to the speis much thicker than the base plate ill. These cific construction selected for illustrative purbevelled plates form opposite side walls of a poses in the accompanying drawings in which slotted runway and line up with the diameter Fig. l is a plan view of the machine. 20 gauge plates 24 which gradually diverge and form Fig. 1A is a plan view of a portion of Fig. l, a diameter gauging runway along which the rollthe two slides being in a different position and ers of acceptable length are pushed in spaced s m parts being mitted, relation by fingers 26 on a pair of endless sprocket Fig; 2 is a front viewpartly in section. chains 28, the fin e s ave g in the slot of the Fig. 3 is a left hand side view partly in section. nw y. If the roller is outside the accep able Fig; his a right hand side view of a portion length tolerances however, it does not reach the of th h ,nism diameter gauge plates because a solenoid 30 Fig. 4A is a view similar to Fig. 4 with some is energized as will appear in the electrical diapar-ts in a different position and with some omitm and retracts the slide 20 which has a headed t d, ,0 portion fitting within a notch of the base plate Figs 5 a d 6 plan views of the t top 22 and hence the unacceptable roller drops down plates. between the sprocket chains to chutes 32, 34 and Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the floating 36. Fig. 8 shows the .path of the rollers R, the bbck s ci tm h nism foremost one in the feed chute engaging the side h Fig. 8 is a viewsimilar to-Fig. 1A, the articles 35 f the pu r another being dva d y th being shown in their various positions and the p her t l n h gauging position, a h r d pspacer I22 being omitted. ping out because unacceptable, and another Fig 9 isadiagra,m about to enter the diameter gauging runway. The articles to begauged are herein illustrated The Slide 20 has a narrow Section Sliding in as cylindrical rollers which are first gauged for a groove in the base pl e h p f the --l'ength and then gauged for diameter provided way e C e y a Slotted p plate 33 the length is acceptable. The-rollers R are urged s d y Screws 0 e e p a A p n 40 out of a feed tube 2 which is fastened bya verfi d n a hole of t lide projects upwa y ti'cal screw 3 against a V-shaped seat 4 on a through e lot in the top plate 38 and is conplatefi fastened to the front of the machine,- the Rooted y a 0011 Spring 42 to an anchor p 4 rollers coming from the feed tube being guided fastened in a rearwardly extending lug on a stop at the left by a plate 8 which is slotted and adplate 46 which is slotted lengthwise and fastened justably fastened by a screw to a base plate to. by screws to the base plate. There also. projects The rollers are guided at the rightbythe side "of upwardly from the slide 20 through the slot in a. fixed gauge block [2 fastened by screws and ,50 the top plate a stop pin 48 which lies below the dowels to the base. plate. The leading roller spring and is arranged to engage the rearwardly abuts against: a stop plate I4 which is slotted projecting lug on the stop plate 45 to limit the horizontally. and adjustably fastened by a screw forward motion of the slide. The outer end of to thebase plate. Areciprocatingslide or pusher the slide is pivotally connected by a pin to a l-iihasa narrow-extensionor pusher which pushes to forked member 56 having a portion threaded ad- 3 iustably in a link member 52 which is secured pivotally to the plunger of the above mentioned solenoid 30 which is fastened to a bracket 54 under a cover 56.

The pusher I6 is connected yieldably by a pusher rod 60 and a spring 62 to a slide 04 which reciprocates in a guide slot formed by a front guide block 65 and a rear guide block 68, these guide blocks being fastened to the base plate I by screws. Spring 62 seats in counterbores in pusher I6 and silde 64. Rod 60 is pinned to slide I6 and projects into a hole beyond the counterbore in slide 64 where it carries a vertical pin I0 which enters a slot in slide 64 to limit the forward movement of the pusher. The guide channel formed between the guide blocks 66 and 68 is covered by a removable top plate 72 which is slotted at the front and fastened by screws to the front guide block. A narrow extension I4 of the top plate overlies the narrow extension of the pusher.

The outer end of the slide 64 has a reduced extension which is pivotally connected by a shoulder screw to a Vertical lever 16 which is fulcrumed at I8 on a bracket 80 fastened to the frame. The lever I6 is loosely pivoted to a horizontal slide 82 having a cam follower roller 84 lying in the path of cams 86 on the fingers 26 which push the rollers along the diameter gauging runway below which is a series of chutes Bl for receiving and segregating the gauged rollers. The fingers are carried by the pair of spaced sprocket chains 28 which extend around sprockets 88 on a driven shaft. A coil spring 90 retracts the lever '16 in a direction to cause the connected slide (54 to engage an adjustable stop screw 92 on a bent bracket 94 fastened by a screw to one end of the rear guide block 68.

The upper end of the lever I6 is arranged to engage a roller I60 at a single instant during only a portion of the time one of the work rollers is being gauged. The roller I00 is carried by a lever I02 pivoted to a plate I04 which is yieldably mounted by a leaf spring I06 to a flattened ledge on a bracket I08. The leaf spring is connected,

to the bracket by a clamping plate I I0 and to the plate I04 by a contact clamp II2 which engages the stem of a micro switch II4 mounted for vertical adjustment on the bracket I08. The bracket has its lower slotted portion adjustably secured by screws to the front of the guide block 66. When the lever I6 moves to the right to engage and pass the roller I00, the lever I02 doesnot pivot because of its shouldered engagement with the plate I04 and hence the leaf spring is flexed upwardly and the stem of the microswitch is instantaneously actuated. As the lever passes the roller I00, the leaf spring returns to horizontal position. When the lever moves to the left again and hits the roller, the lever I02 pivots freely clockwise without causing any actuation of the microswitch. As will later appear, it is important that the microswitch be not closed until the work is between the length gauging members I2 and I8 and that it open before the work passes out between the gauge members. For this reason the gauge members have a width considerably larger than the diameter of the work passing between them and this gives time for the microswitch to close and open during a portion of the gauging interval.

' As the roller which is to be gauged for length passes between the fixed gauge block I2 and the movable gauge member I8 the latter takes a position dependent on the rollers length. The

member I8 has its shank adjustably fastened by set screws in a floating block H6 which is supported for lateral movement by two pairs of vertical reed springs H8 which are fastened at their lower ends to the floating block by screws. The upper ends of the reed springs are similarly fastened by screws to a fixed block I20 rigidly mounted on, but overhanging from, a square spacer I22 which is secured on the rear guide block 68. These three parts are fastened rigidly together by two long vertical screw bolts I24. one of which also secures the base of a bracket I26 to the fixed block I20. Short screw bolts I28 also secure the bracket I26 to the fixed block.

To limit the lateral movement of the block H6 in one direction, an upwardly extending lug thereon abuts against a stop screw I30 adjustably secured in a lug depending downwardly from the fixed block I20. A pin I32 is adjustably secured by a set screw in the floating block I I6 and abuts against an angular plate or lever I34 which is pivoted by a pair of reed springs I36 to the block I20, the reed springs being secured to the two members by screws and bevelled clamping plates. The angular plate I34 has a horizontal ledge bearing against the stem I38 of an electric gauge I40 which is fastened by screws to the upright portion of the above mentioned standard or bracket I26. It thus appears that any movement of the movable gauge member I8 from normal as the work roller engages it will shift the floating block II6 laterally and control the swinging of the angular plate I34 and so actuate the gauge stem upwardly or downwardly. The gauge I40 is of well known type similar to Dennison 1,894,025 and, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 9, has a movable contact member I42 which will make an electric circuit to one side or the other depending on whether the roller being gauged is oversize or undersize.

In operation, the rollers R are suitably urged out of the feed tube, the foremost one engaging the stop plate I4 whereupon the pusher I6 advances it between the fixed gauge block I2 and the movable gauging member I8. If the roller is of acceptable length it is pushed to a supported position on the bevelled edges of the base plate I8 and of the slide 20. Then it will be advanced rearwardly along the diameter gauging runway by the fingers 26 on the sprocket chains. If the roller being gauged for length is outside the tolerances, the slide 20 is withdrawn by the sole noid 30 and the roller drops down and is eliminated. The electrical hook-up is indicated in Fig. 9 and includes a relay coil I46 which will actuate a make-before-break switch having blades A and B. Blade A will close a-circuit before B opens another and B will close before A opens. A relay coil I48 controls blades D and C.

Whenever the lever I0 is actuated by a cam 86, a roller is pushed between the gauging members I2 and I8 and the micro switch I I4 is closed for an instant and immediately opens. Hencethe relay coil I46 will operate at every cycle. and close the right hand switch blade A before the left hand blade B opens but no circuit whatever will be completed as long as the work roller is within the acceptable limits because no current can go through the gauge as long as the movable gauge arm I42 is in a neutral position. When the roller leaves the gauging members,- the gauge arm I42 will engage the undersize contact due to spring pressure in the gauge but such contact is idle because the microswitch II4 has already opened, thus de-energizing the relay I46 and restoring its switch blades A and B to the starting position. In other words, the work gets between the gauge members I2 and I8 before the microswitch is closed and remains there until after the microswitch opens. Otherwise there would be an energizing of the solenoid 30 for each work piece regardless of length.

Assume now a work roller of unacceptable length reaches gauging position and. that the microswitch I I4 closes as usual for an instant. One or the other of the gauge contacts is engaged by the movable arm I42 of the gauge and a circuit is completed through the upper relay coil I48, thus closing the switch blades C and D. The solenoid 30 is thereupon energized through a circuit including a wire E and the right hand blade C to retract the slide 28 preparatory to dropping the roller. Once energized, the solenoid remains so for a time because the opening of the microswitch occurs before the work leaves gauging position, thus ole-energizing the relay I46 and closing the left hand switch blade B before the right hand blade A opens and so completing a holding circuit for the upper relay I48 through the wire F and the left hand switch blade D. The holding circuit persists and keeps the solenoid 30 energized until the microswitch is again closed by the next advance of the lever I6 and the work pusher I6. This opens the holding circuit by energizing relay I 46 and so opening the switch blade B. If the next piece is acceptable, the circuit through the gauge I49 is also broken so that the relay I48 will not be energized because the gauge arm I42 takes a neutral position and keeps it until after switch blade A opens. Thus the solenoid is de-energized and remains so until another unacceptable roller is gauged.

I claim:

1. In a gauging machine, a runway, a pair of relatively movable gauging members, a pusher for pushing articles between the gauging members to the runway, a movable contact member actuated by one of the gauging members to complete a circuit if the article is of unacceptable size, means controlled by the completed circuit to interrupt the continuity of the runway and thereby discharge such article, an endless conveyor for advancing acceptable articles along the runway, and cams mounted on the conveyor for repeatedly actuating the pusher.

2. In a gauging machine, a runway having a section movable to interrupt its continuity, a pair of relatively movable gauging members, a pusher for advancing articles between the gauging members to the runway, a movable contact member, means for transmitting motion of one of the gauging members to the movable contact member to prepare a circuit if the article is either oversize or undersize, a solenoid energized when the circuit is completed for retracting the movable section of the runway, and means actuated by the next advance of the pusher with an acceptable article for deenergizing the solenoid.

3. In a gauging machine, a runway having diverging sides, a movable section in the runway, a pair of gauging members adjacent to the movable section, means for passing articles between the gauging members to gauge one dimension of the article, means controlled by the gauging operation to retract the movable section and discharge an article when the article is unacceptable in said one dimension, and means for advancing articles acceptable in said one dimension along the runway to thereby gauge a second dimension.

4. In a gauging machine, a slotted runway, a fixed gauging member, a movable gauging memher, the gauging members being spaced apart in the direction of the length of the runway and at one side of the runway, a pusher at one side of the runway for advancing articles through the gauging space between the gauging members onto the runway, a movable contact member actuated by the movable gauging member to complete a circuit if an article is either oversize or undersize, a single electrically actuated slide normally forming a section of the runway and retractable when the circuit is completed to interrupt the continuity of the runway and discharge oversize or undersize articles from the runway, and a conveyor having fingers entering the runway slot for conveying articles of acceptable size along the runway out of the way of following articles.

THEODORE A. JAGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 626,539 Hathorn June 6, 1899 1,034,097 Flaherty July 30, 1912 1,166,537 Neal Jan. 4, 1916 1,217,988 Parce Mar. 6, 1917 1,645,118 Seabright Oct. 11, 1927 1,873,315 Dreyer Aug. 23, 1932 1,894,025 Dennison Jan. 10, 1933 2,339,638 Henszy Jan. 18, 1944 2,352,507 Aller June 27, 1944 2,356,236 Gagne Aug. 22, 1944 2,368,796 Ardell Feb. 6, 1945 2,382,885 Landay et a1 Aug. 14, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,633 1 Great Britain of 1893 

